In the field of headgear such as hats and caps, the "baseball type" cap has commanded the vast majority of the market by all ages of the populace. The baseball cap has gone through certain variations in style and design with the original styles fitting closely on the head of the wearer. Other styles have included a raised top portion to enable a looser fitting cap with such top portion spaced from the head of the wearer and a more curved bill to provide added protection from the elements. Further styles of caps that are worn at sporting events include the "baseball" type cap that has a mesh portion covering the rear half or so of the crown of the cap in order to provide for better ventilation. Also, the caps that are worn for golf and/or tennis provide a front portion with a bill and a headband, but may lack a rear portion of the crown so as to allow movement of air to the head of the wearer.
It is well known that a cap must fit sufficiently tight so as not to be blown away in winds during the course of active participation in a sport. Another area of proper fit of a cap must be in boating so as to avoid losing the cap into the water. It is also well known that the cap normally includes a sweatband which fits fairly tight on the head of the wearer and that the average person perspires profusely at the forehead. A very common sight shows athletes removing the cap and wiping the brow to remove perspiration many, many times during the course of a contest.
There have been many ways and means to obtain relief from perspiration in the wearing of previous hats and caps. However, many of these ways and means have been costly or are not convenient to manufacture or are very complex in nature.
Representative documentation in the field or area of ventilating hats or caps includes U.S. Pat. No. 215,998, issued to V. B. Waddell et al. on May 27, 1879, which discloses a ventilating hat with three angular rests that curve inwardly and fit on the head of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 553,043, issued to F. W. Samuels on Jan. 14, 1896, discloses a cap with a wire frame and a cross bar forming an open space between the forehead of the wearer and the front portion of the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,133,934, issued to G. M. Collins on Mar. 30, 1915, discloses a sweat band with felt pads that provide a space between front and rear sections for ventilation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,266,661, issued to T. L. Burns on May 21, 1918, discloses a pressure relieving and ventilating attachment for hats that comprises front and rear pads for ventilation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,350,535, issued to C. R. Williams on Aug. 24, 1920, discloses a hat ventilator that spaces the front of the hat from the forehead of the wearer by spring arms inside the sweat band.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,758,142, issued to W. H. Brooker on May 13, 1930, discloses a hat ventilator with a strip of metal formed with an offset portion to allow passage of air between the wearers head and the offset portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,765,723, issued to J. C. Gustaveson on Jun. 24, 1930, discloses a hat with a lazy-tongs formed head band to allow circulation of air.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,873, issued to L. Jarosenski on Mar. 3, 1953, discloses a hat attachment in the form of a resilient band with arcuate front and rear portions spaced from the wearers head for ventilation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,574, issued to G. C. Burnison on Jan. 7, 1958, discloses a ventilation attachment that comprises a sweat band with inwardly protruding grommets.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,832,077, issued to W. H. McGinnis on Apr. 29, 1958, discloses a head cooler comprising a liquid absorbing pad.
And, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,320, issued to C. S. Yoon on Aug. 28, 1990, discloses an inner rim of a cap with projecting members that form a plurality of ventilating apertures.